The defense fund for ex-Marine Daniel Penny, the man accused of choking and killing violent homeless man Jordan Neely on the subway, is approaching $2 million; his attorneys say the case has “struck a chord” with people.
“The outpouring of support for Danny is always measured by the amount raised, but what is even more telling is that tens of thousands of people from all over the world have taken the time to donate,” Penny’s attorney, Steven M. Raiser, wrote in an email to The Post.
“This level of support demonstrates that the situation forced upon him in that subway car earlier this month, and his subsequent arrest, has struck a chord in the psyche of New Yorkers and has been echoed nationwide,” Raiser wrote.
“The message being sent by this massive showing of support is that any attempt to undermine the right and duty to protect one another against an imminent threat will be challenged.”
From The New York Post:
Penny was charged Friday with second-degree manslaughter for allegedly choking and killing Neely, 30, a former street performer with a long history of mental illness, during a May 1 subway ride on an F train in Manhattan. He was released on $100,000 bail.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg must now try to secure a grand jury indictment before the case can proceed, Raiser said.
Penny’s attorneys, who launched the GiveSendGo campaign on his behalf, have said he didn’t intend to kill Neely when he put him the chokehold and was merely trying to defend himself and fellow straphangers from a threatening homeless man.
“This guy is a hero in my eyes,” one anonymous donor wrote. “He should get a medal for what he did not jail time … We need to take our City back. God bless this guy for trying to help.”
Money raised by Penny’s fundraiser will go to his defense team at Raiser & Kenniff. Any excess money will be donated to a mental health advocacy program in New York City.
